Police Officer Recruit

Police Officer Recruit

The City of San Gabriel and San Gabriel Police Department (SGPD) have an opportunity to begin a challenging and rewarding career in public safety. We are seeking men and women of all backgrounds who desire a career in public safety and have what it takes to accept this challenge to join the SGPD as Police Officer Recruit. We offer Police Officer Recruits excellent pay and benefits, career mentorship and support, professional training and development, fully paid sponsorship in a Peace Officer Standards & Training (POST) Academy, an outstanding organization and department, a supportive community, and a great location for living and working in Southern California.

The ideal candidate for SGPD Police Officer Recruit has outstanding character, judgment, work ethic, oral and written communication skills, interpersonal tact, empathy and compassion, and a strong sense and commitment for public service. The ideal candidate also has the mental and physical attributes, perseverance, and character to develop into a full fledge sworn Police Officer within 12 months of hire.

Police Officer Recruit is a fully salaried and benefited position of limited duration. Incumbents of this position are non-sworn miscellaneous employees with no peace officer powers or responsibilities. Police Officer Recruits who successfully complete and graduate from a POST Basic Academy shall be eligible for immediate promotion to full-fledged sworn Police Officer with SGPD.

Sign-on & Retention Bonus: Police Officer Recruits who successfully promote to sworn Police Officer with SGPD shall be eligible for a $15,000 bonus. Bonus is paid in the following increments:

• $2,500 upon promotion to Police Officer.
• $5,000 upon successful completion of 24 months of satisfactory and continuous service from date of hire as Police Officer.
• $7,500 upon successful completion of 48 months of satisfactory and continuous service from date of hire as Police Officer.

SGPD Police Officer Recruits shall be provided a fully paid sponsorship to a POST Basic Academy. Police Officer Recruits shall also be paid full salary and benefits while attending the academy.

Police Officer Recruit is required to successfully attend and graduate from a POST Basic Academy within 12 months of hire and perform related duties as assigned by the department. Police Officer Recruit is responsible for performing up to POST Academy and SGPD standards at all times. Police Officer Recruit is a non-sworn position classification, specifically designed for training and developing police officer trainees into sworn peace officers, with promotion to the position of Police Officer contingent upon satisfactory completion of police academy training and meeting all other requirements. Police recruits shall not perform duties within the scope of active law enforcement service prior to appointment as a sworn police officer.

To qualify for Police Officer Recruit, candidates must possess and/or meet the following:

• Be at least 21 years of age at time of appointment.
• Possess a valid California Class "C" Driver's License at time of appointment.
• Possess a high school diploma or equivalent at time of appointment.
• Must not have any felony convictions.
• Must not have any misdemeanor offense which reflects lack of character, lack of judgement, or moral turpitude.
• Must have vision correctable to 20/40 in both eyes.
• Must be legally authorized to work in the United States under federal law and pursuant to California Government Code 1031(a).
• If applicable, military discharges other than "Honorable Discharge" will be evaluated on a case-by-case basis and may be cause for disqualification.

Applications for Police Officer Recruit will be screened for minimum qualifications, detail and organization, written communications, and completeness. The most competitive applications will be invited to the testing process. Candidates must attain a passing/qualifying score on each testing element to continue in the process. Failure to pass any test element is disqualifying. The testing and selection procedures for Police Officer Recruit are typically administered in the following order:

1. Online Assessment.
2. Written Examination. Candidates must attain a score of 70% or higher on the exam.
3. Physical Agility Test, which consists of:
• Agility Run: 99-yard dash with abrupt changes in lateral and vertical movement.
• Body Drag: Lift and drag 165-pound dummy 32 linear feet.
• Chain Fence Run/Climb: Run 5 yards and scale a 6-foot-high chain link fence.
• Solid Fence Run/Climb: Run 5 yards and scale a 6-foot-high solid fence.
• 500 Yard Run: Run 500 yards with no obstacles.
4. Eligibility List. Candidates who successfully pass testing elements 1 - 3 shall be placed on the Eligibility List for Police Officer Recruit. Candidates on the Eligibility List may be invited to participate in the pre-employment process. The Eligibility List for Police Officer Recruit is generally exhausted within three months.
5. Department Oral Appraisal/Selection Examination.
6. Pre-Employment Process. Candidates placing on the eligibility list may be invited to participate in the pre-employment process. The pre-employment process consists of the following elements:
• POST background investigation.
• Polygraph examination.
• Selection interview with the department (Chief's interview).
• POST medical examination, including drug screen.
• POST psychological evaluation.
7. Hiring. Candidates who successfully complete and pass all testing and pre-employment requirements outlined here may be hired as Police Officer Recruit. Police Officer Recruit is a fully salaried and benefited position of limited duration (typically 12 months).

Candidates must complete an online application. Applications must be thoroughly prepared and include the following items as attachments to the online application: (1) cover letter, (2) professional rsum, and (3) copies of all professional certifications and test validations required and/or applicable for the position. DO NOT SUBMIT DRIVER'S LICENSE with item #3. Driver's license will be validated upon conditional offer of employment.

Application Filing Period - June 15 - July 19, 2026

Online Assessment - Week of July 27, 2026

Written Examination - Week of August 10, 2026

Physical Agility Test - TBD

Department Oral Appraisal/Selection Examination - TBD

Pre-Employment Process - Approximately 10-12 weeks

Target Hire Date - TBD

The provisions of this bulletin do not constitute an expressed or implied contract. Any provisions contained in this bulletin may be modified or revoked without notice. Applicants with legal disabilities, who require special testing accommodations, must contact the City of San Gabriel Human Resources Department at least five days prior to the examination date.

The City of San Gabriel is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified candidates are encouraged to apply.